Cover window and manufacturing method of the same

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing the cover window includes a film layer and a resin layer disposed on the film layer to surround an edge of the film layer.

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/047,201, filed on Oct. 7, 2013, which claims priority to KoreanPatent Application No. 10-2013-0064333, filed on Jun. 4, 2013, and allthe benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. § 119, the content ofwhich in its entirety is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The embodiments described herein relate to a cover window and amanufacturing method of the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

Mobile-based electronic devices are increasingly being used over officebased electronic devices. Examples of mobile electronic devices mayinclude, for example, but not limited to, tablet personal computers(“PCs”) that have become widely used in recent years over using laptopPCs. Further examples also include small electronic devices, such asmobile phones and the like.

Such mobile electronic devices typically include a display unit toprovide visual information to a user. Such visual information, includingimages or videos often support various functions of the mobileelectronic device to which the display unit is a part thereof. Recently,as other components for driving a display unit have become miniaturized,the display unit is the primary interface between the user and themobile electronic device. Furthermore, a display unit which is bendablefrom a flat state at a predetermined angle is being developed. Thus, thedisplay unit of a mobile electronic device as described above may beflexible.

A cover window may be attached to an outer surface of the display unitto protect an exterior of the display unit. The cover window may beformed of various materials. For example, the cover window may be formedof a glass material or a synthetic resin. The cover window may also beinjection-molded using a synthetic resin material; however, adisadvantage of this manufacturing method is that the cover window maybecome delaminated after manufacturing, thereby causing defects thereof.

SUMMARY

Exemplary embodiments of the exemplary embodiment provide a cover windowand a manufacturing method of the same. The manufacturing method iscapable of reducing the occurrence of delamination of each layercomprising the cover window.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a cover window isprovided which includes: a film layer; and a resin layer disposed on thefilm layer which surrounds an edge of the film layer.

At least one portion of the film layer and at least one portion of theresin layer may be bent.

The film layer may have an area that is less than the area of the resinlayer.

The film layer may be formed of the same material as the resin layer.

The film layer may further include a film body and a shielding layerdisposed on at least one portion of the film body.

The resin layer may further include a body part and a supporting partextending therefrom to surround the edge of the film layer.

The cover window may further include a protection layer disposed on atleast one portion of the film layer to face the resin layer whichsurrounds the edge of the film layer.

The resin layer may surround an edge of the protection layer and theedge of the film layer.

The protection layer may be disposed on at least one portion of theresin layer surrounding the edge of the film layer and at least oneportion of the film layer.

The cover window may further include a binder layer disposed between thefilm layer and the resin layer.

At least two of the following layers may be formed of the same material:the film layer, the resin layer, or the binder layer

The resin may be injection-molded on the film layer through anin-mold-labeling (“IML”) process to manufacture the resin layer.

According to another aspect of the exemplary embodiment, a method ofmanufacturing a cover window is provided. The method includes bending atleast one portion of the film layer, and injection-molding a resin on anouter surface of the film layer to form a resin layer surrounding anedge of the film layer.

The resin may be injection-molded through an IML process to form theresin layer.

The method may further include forming a protection layer on the filmlayer before bending at least one portion of the film layer toinjection-mold a resin on an outer surface of the film layer.

The injection-molding of the resin may include injection-molding theresin to surround the edge of the film layer and an edge of theprotection layer.

The method may further include: forming a protection layer on at leastone portion of the film layer and at least one portion of the resinlayer after the injection-molding of the resin on the film layer to formthe resin layer.

The method may further include: forming a binder layer on the film layerbefore the bending of the at least one portion of the film layer.

The resin may be injected from the edge of the film layer toward acentral portion of the film layer.

The edge of the film layer surrounded by the resin layer includes twoopposing ends defining two opposing terminal ends of the thin filmlayer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the exemplary embodimentwill become more apparent by describing in further detail exemplaryembodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-section view of an exemplary embodiment ofa cover window in a width direction thereof, according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a conceptual cross-section view of an exemplary embodiment ofa mold used for manufacturing the cover window of FIG. 1, according tothe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a conceptual cross-section view of an alternative exemplaryembodiment of a cover window in a width direction thereof, according tothe present invention;

FIG. 4 is a conceptual cross-section view of another alternativeexemplary embodiment of a cover window in a width direction thereof,according to the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a conceptual cross-section of a yet another alternativeexemplary embodiment of a cover window in a width direction thereof,according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will be clarified through the followingembodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The exemplary embodiments of the invention may be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as being limited to theembodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully conveythe concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and theexemplary embodiments of the invention will only be defined by theappended claims.It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to asbeing “on” or “connected to” another element or layer, the element orlayer can be directly on or connected to another element or layer orintervening elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referredto as being “directly on” or “directly connected to” another element orlayer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. As usedherein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one ormore of the associated listed items.It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third,etc., can be used herein to describe various elements, components,regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions,layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These termsare only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer orsection from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element,component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed asecond element, component, region, layer or section without departingfrom the teachings of the exemplary embodiments of the invention.Spatially relative terms, such as “below,” “lower,” “upper” and thelike, can be used herein for ease of description to describe one elementor feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) asillustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over,elements described as “below” or “lower” relative to other elements orfeatures would then be oriented “above” relative to the other elementsor features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both anorientation of above and below. The device can be otherwise oriented(rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relativedescriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference tocross-section illustrations that are schematic illustrations ofidealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the invention. Assuch, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, forexample, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to beexpected. Thus, embodiments of the invention should not be construed aslimited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but areto include deviations in shapes that result, for example, frommanufacturing.For example, an implanted region illustrated as a rectangle will,typically, have rounded or curved features and/or a gradient of implantconcentration at its edges rather than a binary change from implanted tonon-implanted region. Likewise, a buried region formed by implantationcan result in some implantation in the region between the buried regionand the surface through which the implantation takes place. Thus, theregions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and theirshapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of a region of adevice and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will befurther understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly useddictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art andwill not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unlessexpressly so defined herein.

All methods described herein can be performed in a suitable order unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “suchas”), is intended merely to better illustrate the invention and does notpose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwiseclaimed. No language in the specification should be construed asindicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of theinvention as used herein.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is across-section view schematically illustrating a cover window in a widthdirection thereof. FIG. 2 is a conceptual cross-section view of a moldused for manufacturing the cover window of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cover window 100 may include a film layer110. The film layer 110 may include a film body 111 and a shieldinglayer 112 disposed on at least one portion of the film body 111.

In an embodiment, the film body 111 may have at least one bent portion.In another embodiment, the film body 111 may be bent in various shapes.For example, the film body 111 may have a curved surface with a selectedradius of curvature. In another embodiment, the film body 111 may haveonly one bent portion. For example, the film body 111 may have a flatshape except at an edge thereof. That is, only the edge of the film body111 may be bent. Here, both side edges of the film body 111 may be bent.Alternatively, only one side edge of the film body 111 may be bent.

In an embodiment, the film body 111 may have a plurality of curvedsurfaces having different radii of curvature. In detail, the film body111 may have a first curved surface having a first radius of curvature,a second curved surface having a second radius of curvature, a thirdcurved surface having a third radius of curvature, . . . and an N-thcurved surface having an N-th radius of curvature (where N is a naturalnumber). In an embodiment, the first curved surface, the second curvedsurface, the third curved surface, . . . and the N-th curved surface maybe connected to each other.

In particular, the film body 111 is not limited to the above describedshapes. If at least one portion of the film body 111 is bent, the filmbody 111 may have various shapes.

At least one portion of the length direction and the width direction ofthe film body 111 may be a curved portion. In detail, the film body 111may be bent in the length or width direction, or alternatively, the filmbody 111 may be bent in both length and width directions.

Hereinafter, for the convenience of description, the film body 111 ofwhich only the edge is bent will be described in detail. In addition,for convenience of description, the film body 111 of which both sideedges are bent in the width direction will be described in detail.

The film body 111 may be bent in various directions. Referring to FIG.1, the film body 111 may have an upwardly convex shape. In analternative embodiment of FIG. 1, the film body 111 may have adownwardly convex shape. However, hereinafter, for convenience indescription, the film body 111 having the upwardly convex shape will bedescribed in detail.

In an embodiment, the film body 111 may be formed of a transparentmaterial. For example, the film body 111 may be formed of at least oneof polymethylmethacrylate (“PMMA”), polycarbonate (“PC”), polyethyleneterephthalate (“PET”), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (“PETG”), andacrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The material may be provided as a resinto form the film body 111. The film body 111 is not limited to theabove-described materials and may include any injection-moldabletransparent materials.

The shielding layer 112 may be manufactured by an inkjet printingprocess, a silk screen printing process, an imprinting process, or thelike. Since the inkjet printing process, the silk screen printingprocess, the imprinting process, or the like are the same as a generalprocess, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. The method ofmanufacturing the shielding layer 112 is not limited to theabove-described methods. For example, the method may include any methodof forming an opaque layer on the film body 111.

As described above, the shielding layer 112 may be disposed on at leastone portion of the film body 111; in particular, the shielding layer 112may be disposed on the edge of the film body 111.

The cover window 100 may include a resin layer 120 disposed on the filmlayer 110 to surround the edge of the film layer 110. The resin layer120 may include a body part 121 and a supporting part 122 extending fromthe body part 121 to surround and cover the edge of the film layer 110.

The body part 121 may have the same shape as that of the film body 111.In particular, if at least one portion of the film body 111 is bent, atleast one portion of the body part 121 may also be bent along the filmbody 111. The curved surface of the film body 111 may have a radius ofcurvature similar to that of the body part 121.

The body part 121 may be formed of a transparent material. For example,the body part 121 may include at least one of PMMA, PC, PET, PETG, oracrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The material may be in resin form tomold the body part 121. The body part 121 is not limited to theabove-described materials and may include any injection-moldabletransparent materials.

The body part 121 and the film body 111 may be formed of the samematerial or of different materials. In particular, if the body part 121is formed of the same material as that of the film body 111, the bodypart 121 may be firmly coupled to the film body 111 through chemicalbonding.

The supporting part 122 may be bent. In particular, the supporting part122 may have a groove so that the film body 111 is inserted therein. Thesupporting part 122 may fix the edge of the film body 111 to prevent theedge of the film body 111 from being separated from the body part 121 orthe supporting part 122.

The cover window 100 may include a protection layer 130 disposed on thefilm layer 110. The protection layer 130 may be disposed on the filmlayer 110 to face the resin layer 120. In particular, if the resin layer120 is disposed on a first outer surface 111 a of the film layer 110,the protection layer 130 may be disposed on a second outer surface 111 bof the film layer 110, which is different from the first outer surface111 a. Also, if the resin layer 120 is disposed in the second outersurface 111 b, the protection layer 130 may be disposed in the firstouter surface 111 a. However, for convenience of description, theprotection layer being disposed on the first outer surface 111 a and theresin layer 120 being disposed on the second outer surface 111 b will bedescribed in detail.

The protection layer 130 may be formed of a material having functionsincluding, but not limited to, external force resistance, foreignsubstances resistance, and static electricity resistance. Particularly,the protection layer 130 may be formed of an acrylic material.Alternatively, the protection layer 130 may be formed of a compositelayer including organic and inorganic materials. The protection layer130 may be attached to the film layer 110 in a film shape and be formedthrough a coating process. However, for convenience of description, theprotection layer which is manufactured by the coating process will bedescribed in detail.

The protection layer 130 may be disposed on one portion of the resinlayer 120 surrounding the edge of the film layer 110 and one portion ofthe film layer 110. In detail, the protection layer 130 may cover thebody part 121 and the supporting part 122 to protect the body part 121and a portion of the supporting part 122 against the outside.

In the method of manufacturing the cover window 100, the film layer 110may be formed of the same material as the material described above.Here, the film body 111 may be disposed on the film layer 110, and thenthe shielding layer 112 may be disposed on at least one portion of thefilm body 111 through the inkjet printing process, the silk screeningprocess, or the imprinting process, for example. Since the inkjetprinting process, the silk screen printing process, and the imprintingprocess are well-known processes, detailed descriptions thereof will beomitted.

When the above-described process is finished, both sides of the edge ofthe film body 111 may be bent. Here, the film body 111 may be bent invarious ways. For example, the film body 111 may be bent by beingcompressed or pressurized using a jig.

When the film body 111 is bent, the film body 111 may be disposed insidea mold (no reference character). The mold may include a first mold C1and a second mold C2. The first mold C1 may be spaced apart from thesecond mold C2 to define a space V therebetween.

When the film body 111 is disposed in the space V, the first outersurface 111 a of the film body 111 may be closely attached to a surfaceof the first mold C1. Here, a first outer circumferential surface of thefirst outer surface 111 a of the film body 111 may be spaced apart fromthe surface of the first mold C1.

As described above, after the film body 111 is disposed, the resin maybe injection-molded. The resin may be injection-molded on the film layer110 by an in-mold-labeling (“IML”) process to manufacture the resinlayer 120. In particular, the resin may be injection-molded at atemperature of about 200° C. to about 300° C.

The resin may include at least one of PMMA, PC, PET, PETG, andacrylonitrile butadiene styrene which are materials for forming theresin layer 120.

When the resin is injected, the resin may be injected from the edge ofthe film body 111. In detail, the resin may be injected from the edge ina length direction of the film body 111 and from the edge in a widthdirection of the film body in a central direction of the film body 111.In particular, if the resin is injected from the edge of the film body111 in the central direction of the film body 111, the cover window 100may have a pattern formed due to a flow of the resin on an edge area ofthe film body 111. A pattern formed due to a flow of the resin on anedge area of the film body 111 is used to prevent deterioration ofvisibility or prevent defects from occurring when the display panel (notshown) is attached to the cover window 100.

As described above, when the resin is injection-molded, the resin may beintroduced between the first mold C1 and the edge of the film body 111,and between the second mold C2 and the edge of the film body 111. Here,the resin may flow to surround the edge of the film body 111 by at leastone of the first mold C1 and the second mold C2. In detail, the resininjected between the second mold C2 and the second outer surface 111 bof the film body may flow toward a portion of the first outer surface111 a of the film body 111 along a side surface of the first mold C1.Also, the resin may flow from a resin injection hole I defined betweenthe first mold C1 and the second mold C2 into a portion of the firstouter surface 111 a of the film body 111.

During the injection of the resin, if the film body 111 is formed of thesame material as the resin, a portion of the material of the film body111 may be fused according to the above described injection temperatureto chemically bond the film body 111 to the resin. Thus, when the resinis cured to form the resin layer 120 after the resin is injected, theresin layer 120 may be firmly coupled to the film body 111 through thechemical bonding.

When the above-described process is finished, the temperature maydecrease to cure the resin, thereby manufacturing the resin layer 120.Here, the resin layer 120 may have a surface area greater than that ofthe film layer 110. In detail, the resin layer 120 may have a lengthgreater than that of the film layer 110 and a width greater than that ofthe film layer 110. Thus, the supporting part 122 may fully cover theedge of the film body 111.

When the above-described process is finished, the film layer 110 and theresin layer 120 may be taken out of the first mold C1 and the secondmold C2. Also, the protection layer 130 may be disposed on the firstouter surface 111 a of the film layer 110. Here, the protection layer130 may be manufactured through the coating process as described above.In detail, the protection layer 130 may be manufactured by alternatelyproviding the acrylic material or the organic and inorganic materialsthrough spraying or dip-coating, for example, but not limited thereto.Here, since the spraying and dip-coating are general well-knownprocesses, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

When the protection layer 130 is manufactured, the protection layer 130may be disposed on the first outer surface 111 a of the film body 111and a portion of the supporting part 122. Here, the protection layer 130may protect the first outer surface 111 a of the film body 111 and theportion of the supporting part 122 against external forces, externalforeign substances, and static electricity.

When the resin layer 120 is manufactured, the supporting part 122 maysupport the edge of the film body 111 as described above. In detail, ifthe edge of the film body 111 is bent, the edge of the film body 111 andthe resin layer 120 may be separated from each other by a restoringforce of the material forming the film body 111. Here, the supportingpart 122 may be disposed to surround the edge of the film body 111 asdescribed above, thereby preventing the edge of the film body 111 frombeing separated from the resin layer 120. If the film body 111 isdeformed by heat, the supporting layer 122 may support the edge of thefilm body 111 to prevent the film body 111 and the resin layer 120 frombeing separated from each other.

Therefore, in the cover window 100 and the method of manufacturingthereof, the film body 111 and the resin layer 120 may be firmly coupledto each other to minimize defects of the cover window 100. Also, themethod of manufacturing the cover window may be simplified to reduceworking time and costs.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual cross-section view of a cover window in a widthdirection thereof, according to an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention. Hereinafter, like reference numerals in FIGS. 1 and 2 denotelike elements in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 3, a cover window 200 may include a film layer 210, aresin layer 220, and a protection layer 230. The film layer 210 mayinclude a film body 211 and a shielding layer 212. The resin layer 220may include a body part 221 and a supporting part 222.

The film layer 210, the resin layer 220, and the protection layer 230are respectively similar to the film layer 110, the resin layer 120, andthe protection layer 130 in FIG. 1, and thus, a detailed descriptionthereof will be omitted here.

The resin layer 220 may surround an edge of the film layer 210 and anedge of the protection layer 230. In detail, the supporting part 222 maysurround the edge of the film layer 210 and the edge of the protectionlayer 230. Here, the supporting layer 222 may prevent the edge of thefilm layer 210 from being separated from the resin layer 220. Inparticular, the supporting part 222 may surround a second outer surface211 b of the edge of the film body 211 and a portion of the protectionlayer 230.

A method of manufacturing the cover window 200 may be similar to themethod of manufacturing the cover window 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2 describedabove.

In detail, the film layer 210 may be manufactured and prepared. Here,the film body 211 may be manufactured through a process similar to theprocess described above. The shielding layer 212 may be manufactured byan inkjet printing process, a silk screen process, or an imprintprocess, for example. Here, since the inkjet printing process, the silkscreen printing process, or the imprint process is the same as thegeneral processes discussed above, detailed descriptions thereof will beomitted.

When the process is finished, the protection layer 230 may be disposedon a first outer surface 211 a of the film body 211. The protectionlayer 230 may cover an entire surface of the first outer surface 211 aof the film body 211.

When the protection layer 230 is disposed on the first outer surface 211a of the film body 211, the film body 211 and the protection layer 230may be bent. Here, the film body 211 and the protection layer 230 may bebent by using a jig as described above in FIG. 2. The film body 211 andthe protection layer 230 may be bent so that the film body 211 and theprotection layer 230 have curved surfaces having various shapes. Inparticular, the edge of the film body 211 may be bent.

When the film body 211 and the protection layer 230 are bent, the filmbody 211 and the protection layer 230 may be disposed between a firstmold C1 and a second mold C2. Here, a portion of an outer surface of theprotection layer 230 may contact a surface of the first mold C1.

When the above-described process is finished, a resin may be injectedbetween the second mold C2 and the second outer surface 211 b of thefilm body 211. Here, as described above, the resin may be injected fromthe edge of the film body 211 toward a central direction of the filmbody 211.

When the resin is injected as described above, the resin may beintroduced into a space (e.g., “V” in FIG. 2) between the film body 211and the second mold C2. A portion of the resin may flow onto a portionof the protection layer 230 disposed on the first outer surface 211 a ofthe film body 211. As time goes by, the resin may be cured to form theresin layer 220, thereby forming the body part 221 and the supportingpart 222. In particular, the supporting part 222 may surround the bentedge of the film body 211 as described above. The supporting part 222may cover a surface of the protection layer 230 disposed on the edge ofthe film body 211 (i.e., covering terminal edges defining opposingterminal ends of the protection layer 230).

While the resin is injected, if the film body 211 is formed of the samematerial as the resin, a portion of the film body 211 may be fused, andthus, chemically bonded to the resin layer 220.

Therefore, in the cover window 200 and the method of manufacturingthereof, the supporting part 222 surrounding the edge of the film body211 and the portion of the supporting part 222 may be provided toprevent the bent edge of the film body 211 from being separated from theresin layer 220. In the cover window 200 and the method of manufacturingthereof, if the film body 211 is formed of the same material as theresin, the resin layer 220 and the film body 211 may be firmly coupledto each other due to chemical bonding therebetween.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual cross-section view of a cover window in a widthdirection thereof, according to another alternative embodiment of thepresent invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, a cover window 300 may include a film layer 310, aresin layer 320, and a protection layer 330. The film layer 310 mayinclude a film body 311 and a shielding layer 312. The resin layer 320may include a body part 321 and a supporting part 322.

The film layer 310, the resin layer 320, and the protection layer 330are respectively similar to the film layer 110, the resin layer 120, andthe protection layer 130 in FIG. 1, and thus, a detailed descriptionthereof will be omitted.

The cover window 300 may include a binder layer 340 between the filmlayer 310 and the resin 320. The binder layer 340 may be formed on thefilm body 311 through a silk screen printing process. In detail, thebinder layer 340 may be disposed on a second outer surface 311 b of thefilm body 311. In particular, the binder layer 340 may have a surfacearea that is equal to or less than that of the film layer 310.

The binder layer 340 may be formed of various materials. For example,the binder layer 340 may include at least one of PMMA, PC, PET, PETG andacrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Here, the film layer 310, the resinlayer 320, and the binder layer 340 may be formed of materials differentfrom each other. Alternatively, at least two of the film layer 310, theresin layer 320, and the binder layer 340 may be formed of the samematerial. However, for convenience of description, the film layer 310,the resin layer 320, and the binder layer 340 which are formed of thesame material will be described in further detail.

A method of manufacturing the cover window 300 may be similar to themethod of manufacturing the cover window 200 described above withrespect to FIG. 3.

In further detail, after the film body 311 is manufactured, theshielding layer 312 may be disposed on at least one portion of the filmbody 311. The shielding layer 312 may be manufactured by the inkjetprinting process, the silk screen printing process, or the imprintprocess. Since the inkjet printing process, the silk screen printingprocess, or the imprint process are the same as the general processesdescribed above, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

When the process is finished, the film body 311 may be bent, and theninserted between the first mold C1 and the second mold C2 (shown in FIG.2). Then, the resin may be injected between the second outer surface 311b of the film body 311 and the second mold C2 to dispose the resin layer320 on the second outer surface 311 b of the film body 311. When theresin is injected between the molds C1 and C2 as described above, theresin may fuse a portion of the binder layer 340 to chemically bond to aportion of the fused binder layer 340.

When the resin layer 320 is disposed as described above, the body part321 and the supporting part 322 may be disposed as illustrated in FIG.4, and the supporting part 311 may surround the edge of the film body311. The supporting part 322 may prevent the film body 311 from beingseparated from the binder layer 340 due to an insertion of the edge ofthe film body 311 into the supporting part 322 of the resin layer 320.

When the process is finished, the protection layer 330 may be disposedon the first outer surface 311 a of the film body 311. The method ofdisposing the protection layer 330 has been described already, and thusa detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Therefore, in the cover window 300 and the method of manufacturingthereof, although at least one portion of the cover window 300 is bent,the supporting part 322 may fix the edge of the film body 311 to theedge of the binder layer 340 to prevent the film body 311, the binderlayer 340, and the protection layer 330 from being separated from eachother.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual cross-section view of a cover window in a widthdirection thereof, according to yet another alternative embodiment ofthe present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, a cover window 400 may include a film layer 410, aresin layer 420, a protection layer 430, and a binder layer 440. Thefilm layer 410 may include a film body 411 and a shielding layer 412.The resin layer 420 may include a body part 421 and a supporting part422.

The film layer 410, the resin layer 420, the protection layer 430, andthe binder layer 440 are respectively similar to the film layer 310, theresin layer 320, the protection layer 330 and the binder layer 340described in FIG. 4, and thus, a detailed description thereof will beomitted.

In the method of manufacturing the cover window 400, the shielding layer412 may be disposed on the film body 411 as described above, and thenthe protection layer 430 may be disposed on a first outer surface 411 aof the film body 411. A method of forming the protection layer 430 hasbeen described above, and thus, a detailed description thereof will beomitted.

The binder layer 440 may be disposed on a second outer surface 411 b ofthe film body 411. A method of disposing the binder layer 440 has beendescribed above, and thus, a detailed description thereof will beomitted.

When the protection layer 430 and the binder layer 440 are disposed asdescribed above, the film body 411 may be bent. A method of bending thefilm body 411 has been described above in detail, and thus, a detaileddescription thereof will be omitted.

The film layer 410, the protection layer 430, and the binder layer 440,which are bent, may be disposed between a first mold C1 and a secondmold C2 as described above (and shown in FIG. 2), and then the resin maybe injected. Here, the resin may be injected from the edge of the filmbody 410 toward a central portion of the film body 410 as describedabove.

When the resin is injected between the molds C1 and C2 as describedabove, a portion of the resin may flow between the binder layer 440 andthe second mold C2 to surround the edge of the film body 411 and aportion of the protection layer 430. Thereafter, when the resin iscured, the resin may form the resin layer 420.

Here, the edge of the film body 411, the edge of the binder layer 440,and the edge of the protection layer 430 may be inserted into thesupporting part 422 of the resin layer 420 and thus be fixed by thesupporting part 422. In particular, the supporting part 422 may preventthe bent edge of the film body 411 from returning to its original state,thus preventing the film body 411 from being separated from the binder440. Also, the supporting part 422 may prevent the binder layer 440 frombeing moved together with the film body 411, thus preventing the binderlayer 440 from being separated from the resin layer 420.

Therefore, in the cover window 400 and the method of manufacturingthereof, the returning of the edge of the film body 411 to its originalstate may be prevented and thus, the film body 411, the binder layer440, and the resin layer 420 may be prevented from being separated fromeach other.

In particular, in the cover window 400 and the method of manufacturingthereof, the delaminating of the cover window 400 in the edge areathereof may be prevented and thus a defect rate is minimized.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the film layer andthe resin layer may be firmly coupled to each other to minimize defectsof the cover window. Also, according to embodiments of the presentinvention, the cover window may be manufactured more simply to reduceworking time and costs thereof.

In particular, according to embodiments of the present invention, theresin layer may be formed to surround the edge of the bent film layer toprevent the film layer and the resin layer from being separated fromeach other.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understoodby those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form anddetails may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing a cover window, themethod comprising: providing a film body defined by a central region anda pair of opposing edges each extending from one of opposing sidesdefining the central region; forming a shielding layer on only at leastone of the pair of opposing edges defining the film body; bending atleast one portion of a film layer including the film body and theshielding layer; and injection-molding a resin on an outer surface ofthe film layer to form a resin layer surrounding an edge of the filmlayer.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the resin is injection-moldedthrough an in-mold-labeling process to form the resin layer.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising forming a protection layer on thefilm layer before the bending the at least one portion of the filmlayer.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the injection-molding of theresin comprises injection-molding the resin to surround the edge of thefilm layer and an edge of the protection layer.
 5. The method of claim1, further comprising, forming a protection layer on at least oneportion of the film layer and at least one portion of the resin layerafter the injection molding of the resin on the film layer to form theresin layer.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming abinder layer on the film layer before the bending of the at least oneportion of the film layer.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the resinis injected from the edge of the film layer toward a central portion ofthe film layer.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the edge of the filmlayer surrounded by the resin layer includes two opposing ends definingtwo opposing terminal ends of the thin film layer.